Secretary-General’s Message for 2016 The world has achieved significant progress in human development over the past two decades. The global poverty rate fell by more than half. People are living longer and healthier lives, and are better educated. Despite these and other advances, prosperity has not been shared by all. Inequalities, extreme poverty, unemployment, social […]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in an opinion piece published by Newsweek. The UN chief recalled that following decades of war, South Sudan became the world’s newest country five years ago and when he attended the 2011 independence celebrations in the capital, Juba, “hopes were high that the long-suffering people of the oil-rich country would […]
Despite appearances and media spin, “migration does not have to be chaotic or seem like an invasion,” and as yet another turbulent year for millions of people on the move comes to an end, the United Nations is marking International Migrants Day with a worldwide call for more cooperation and a resolute rejection of intolerance […]
Nearly 75 per cent of domestic workers 15 and older are estimated to work in informal employment situations, according to a new study by the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO), which calls for a combination of incentives and compliance to reduce high levels of informality in domestic work. The report, Formalizing Domestic Work, confirms […]
The United Nations human rights expert on contemporary forms of racism has urged all Australians – from the Government to the media and civil society – to stand up against “alarming” hate speech and racism racial discrimination in the country, especially against indigenous people, refugees, migrants, and Muslims. “The elimination of racism, xenophobia and discrimination […]
The world is facing a humanitarian crisis that will require a record $22.2 billion in funding for 2017 to support nearly 93 million of the most vulnerable and marginalized people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today as it launched a relief aid appeal. “The scale of humanitarian crises today […]